Giancarlo GuizzardiOntological Foundations for

Structural Conceptual Models

Kapitel 1–3, vorgestellt von Steffen Zschaleram 08.11.2006

TU Dresden, 08.11.2006 (c) Steffen Zschaler, 2006 Folie 2 von 11

Fakultät Informatik, Institut für Software- und Multimediatechnologie, Lehrstuhl Softwaretechnologie

Motivation

Conceptual Modelling Languages– For representing reality– Human users– To promote communication and common understanding

– When is reality represented adequately?

Systematic approach is needed

– Current approaches: Focused on specific domains

Here: Focus on general principles of conceptual models

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Fakultät Informatik, Institut für Software- und Multimediatechnologie, Lehrstuhl Softwaretechnologie

Objectives

Conceptualisation

Conceptualisation

Model

Modelling Language

Modelling Specification

represented by

interpreted as

represented by

interpreted as

instance of used to compose instance of used to compose

Concepts Artefacts

Establish a systematic relation between modelling language and conceptualisation

representation adequacyfoundational ontology

Establish a systematic relation between modelling language and conceptualisation

representation adequacyfoundational ontology

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Fakultät Informatik, Institut für Software- und Multimediatechnologie, Lehrstuhl Softwaretechnologie

Representation Adequacy

Two aspects:1. Domain Appropriateness:

• Measure of the suitability of a language for modelling phenomena of a domain

• Truthfulness to the domain2. Comprehensibility Appropriateness:

• Measure of ease of comprehension and communication

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Domain Appropriateness

Specification S should be as close to Model M as possible.– Ideally: Isomorphisms– Homomorphisms will do

– Four properties to characterise an isomorphism:1. Lucidity/Construct Overload2. Soundness/Construct Excess3. Laconicity/Construct Redundancy4. Completeness

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Lucidity/Construct Overload

Every element in S relates to at most one element in M.

Contrast: Construct Overload (Language Level)– Some grammatical constructs relate to more than one ontological construct– No implication of non-lucidity or vice-versa

M S

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Soundness/Construct Excess

Every element in S relates to at least one element in M.

Contrast: Construct Excess (Language Level)– Some grammatical constructs relate to no ontological construct

M S

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Laconicity/Construct Redundancy

Every element in M is represented by at most one element in S.

Contrast: Construct Redundancy (Language Level)– More than one grammatical constructs relates to the same ontological

construct– No implication of non-laconicity or vice-versa

M S

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Completeness

Every element in M is represented by at least one element in S.

Related to: Completeness (Language Level)– Every domain concept is represented by at least one grammatical construct

M S

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Model

Modelling Language

Modelling Specification

represented by

interpreted as

represented by

interpreted as

instance of used to compose instance of used to compose

Comparing Modelling Languages and Conceptualisations

Conceptualisation

Conceptualisation

Concepts Artefacts

Domain Ontology

Domain Ontology

Meta-Conceptualisati

on

Meta-Conceptualisati

on

Material Domain

Conceptualisation

Ontology Representation Language

Domain Ontology

represented by

represented by

instance of

Meta-Level

Level

Foundational Ontology

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Ontologies

• Lots of history on use of ontologies in philosophy and computer science• Formalisations of Conceptualisation, Logical Model, Ontological

Commitment

• I have no clue, what is the core contribution of this chapter!